Clinico – Epidemiological Profile, Pattern and Outcome of Abdominal Trauma in A Level 1 Trauma Centre in South India

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Abdomen is the third most common region tobe affected in trauma in the form of penetrating or blunt injuryin which the latter is often overlooked. The profile and patternof abdominal trauma is changing with time with significantincrease in urban population, faster vehicle on roads,industrialization and a change in the socioeconomic values.Aims and Objectives: To study the proportion, cause, pattern,management and outcome of patients presenting withabdominal trauma to the emergency department.Material and methods: The study was conducted as aHospital based descriptive cross-sectional study in JawaharlalInstitute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research(JIPMER) Hospital, Puducherry which is a level 1 traumacentre. The study period was from August 2016 to May2018. All patients who presented to JIPMER EmergencyMedical Services (EMS) with clinical evidence of abdomentrauma were included. Details on pre-hospital care, mode ofinjury, clinical presentation, management and outcome wererecorded.Results: Among total patients, 49% patients were between21 to 40 years age group. Road traffic accident was thecommonest cause of abdominal trauma with 68% casesfollowed by trauma due to fall from height in 13% cases.Among 153 subjects, blunt injury was found in 87% whilepenetrating injury was found in 13% of patients. Solid organinjury was found in 86 cases and hollow viscus injury wasobserved in 29 cases. Among the study group, 100 patientswere managed conservatively and 53 patients were managedsurgically. In this study, shortest duration of hospital stay wasone day and longest duration was 60 days.Conclusion: RTA forms the most common mode of injury inabdominal trauma. FAST is a reliable and quick investigationto diagnose abdominal trauma. Majority of the Blunt injuryabdomen cases can be managed conservatively.